The Sources of Environmental Risks Affecting University Education from Instructors’ Perceptions

The Times Sustainable Development Classification (TSDC) was issued in the June report, highlighting the number of universities participating in the 2024 edition. This edition features 2152 universities from 125 countries competing, with Iraqi universities ranking first in the Arab world and seventh globally based on their contributions to achieving the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals. This distinction is due to their excellence in educational services, diverse academic programs, and commitment to sustainable development goals. They effectively address challenges, adapt to changes, raise awareness, and provide scientific solutions. This study aims to identify the sources of environmental risks affecting university education from the perspective of university professors at the University of Anbar. The participants were seven male and female university professors from the colleges of the University of Anbar during the academic year 2023–2024. A questionnaire was prepared to collect the data. The results revealed numerous risks threatening the university environment, including old infrastructure, natural disasters, wars and occupation of civilian cities, a weak water and sanitation system, pollution from inadequate waste management of engineering and scientific laboratory activities, a weak waste disposal system, excessive consumption of electrical energy and fuel, lack of green spaces, poor awareness of green education, lack of awareness of health epidemic risks, weak sustainable information technology practices, insufficient university health duties, impact of external pollution, scarcity of waste disposal facilities near classrooms and college buildings, expansion of the university campus at the expense of green areas, and weak cooperation between universities and civil society.